The present invention generally relates to the art of building construction and more particularly to a device that forms an arcuate facia for a structure.
The installation of a straight facia around a roof or deck typically comprises nailing an elongate board across the exposed ends of the rafters. The rafters, which protrude down from the sloped section of the roof, are supported by the outside wall of the structure such that the rafters and roofing material attached thereon form the eaves of the structure. Typically, the facia is placed over the exposed ends of the rafters to form a horizontal covering such that the ends of the rafters are not visible. Additionally, a facia may also be used to cover the exposed ends of ceiling joists that protrude from a deck or flat roof. After installation, the facia may be painted or covered with material depending upon the application.
However, the above-described installation process is not adequate for installation of a facia around a curved roof or deck. In such a situation, the rafters or joists are configured to create a curved roof. Therefore the exposed ends of the rafters or joists define a curved area that is to be covered. Specifically, the exposed ends of the rafters or joists define a radius of curvature in such a manner that a facia having the same radius of curvature may be used to cover the exposed ends thereof.
In order to cover the exposed ends of the rafters or joists, typically a straight facia is curved around such ends by lapping sections of wood together. The wood sections are attached together such that a curved facia is formed from the multiple sections of wood. This process can be very time consuming and labor intensive and may result in an uneven finish from the joints between the sections of wood not being smooth. Alternatively, a curved facia may be created by cutting vertical serrations in the outer surface of a straight facia board thereby allowing the board to be curved horizontally around the rafter ends. The vertical serrations, however, must be filled after affixing the board to the rafters in order to provide a smooth outer surface for painting and/or other types of covering. Additionally, if the area spanning the rafter ends is quite large, then the boards must be attached to one another in an end-to-end fashion that collectively defines the curved facia. Therefore, this technique is labor intensive as well as time consuming since the facia will need to be properly prepared after attachment to the structure in order to provide a proper finish surface.
The above-described methods of installing a curved facia can result in non-uniform and sometimes uneven finish surfaces. As a result, such defects are readily visually apparent and detract from the overall appearance of the structure. Additionally, remedial work may be required by the builder in order to correct such defects in appearance which may also be time consuming. The present invention corrects such deficiencies in the prior art curved facias by providing a curved facia that is uniformly smooth and easy to install. As such, the present invention is intended to provide a simple and inexpensive arcuate facia that can be used for curved roofs and decks.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided for an arcuate roof section including a series of rafters which each define an exposed end of a prescribed height, a pre-formed device positionable along the exposed ends of a series of rafters to define an arcuate facia. The device comprises at least one facia member having an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge. The inner surface of the facia member is configured to abut the exposed ends of the rafters such that the outer surface defines the arcuate facia. The width of the facia member between the top edge and the bottom edge exceeds the height of the exposed ends of the rafters such that the device fully covers the exposed ends.
The facia member may be formed from a plurality of laminated wood members. Additionally, the member may be formed of bonded particulate matter such as cellulose fiber, shredded paper, wooden particles, sawdust or any possible combination thereof. Furthermore, the device may be fabricated from a plastic material bonded into the necessary shape. The facia member may additionally comprise a series of arcuate facia segments attached to the exposed ends in end-to-end fashion. The arcuate facia member may also be adapted to cover the exposed ends of a series of joists.
In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided an arcuate facia covering structure. The structure comprises a first rafter having a first exposed end of a prescribed height and a second rafter having a second exposed end of a prescribed height and in spaced relation to the first rafter. Furthermore, the structure includes at least one facia member having an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge. The inner surface of the facia member is configured to abut the exposed ends of the rafters such that the outer surface defines an arcuate facia. Furthermore, the width between the top edge and the bottom edge of the facia member exceeds the height of the rafters"" exposed ends.
The present invention further provides for a method of covering a series of rafters which each define an exposed end of a prescribed height with an arcuate facia. The method comprises providing at least one facia member having an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge wherein the width between the top edge and the bottom edge exceeds the height of the exposed ends. Next, the facia member is attached to the exposed ends of the rafters such that the outer surface defines an arcuate facia. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the inner surface of the facia member may be abutted against the exposed ends of the rafters. The method can further comprise providing a series of arcuate facia segments and attaching the facia segments in an end-to-end fashion to collectively define the facia member.